Type-writer ribbon-shift.



'-F. w. LU L LOFFQ TYPE WRITER RIBBON SHIFT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-4. i915.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Atturnrgs FERDINAND W. LULIJOFF, 0F COLBY, WISCONSIN.-

TYPE-WRITER RIBBON-SI-IlET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2 3%, 1915.

Application filed January 4, 1915. Serial No. 465.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND W. LUL- LOFF citizen of the United. States, residim at dolby, in the county of Marathon an State of Wisconsin,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Writer Ribbon-Shifts; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. This invention relates to typewriting machines, and more especially to the ribbon mechanism thereof; and the object of the same is to produce improved means for shifting the ribbon so that it will vibrate through different paths. Heretofore devices of this same general character and for the same general purpose have been patented and applied to different typewriting machines, but I observe that the means for shifting or varying the paths through which the ribbon may be subsequently vibrated automatically, are complicated, sometimes involve the use of another key and the mechanism connecting said means with the key, and often, throw additional weight onto the parts which vibrate and therefore additional load onto the machine. I The purpose of the present invention is to provide a shifting device which is carried on the bracket whereon the vibrator is mounted, so that when said device is actuated it moves the base of the vibrator along a guide on said bracket and adds nothing whatever to the vibrating mechanism itself by way of either weight or complication.

Another or subsidiary purpose of the present invention. is to provide extremely simple means for locking the shifting device in either ofits limits of movement.

'A third urpose of the present in ention is to provi e extremely simple means whereby the entire attachment can be removed from the typewriting machine.

' With the above objects in view, the invention consists in the details hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure l. is a side elevation of this invention as appliedto the parts of an Oliver typewriter, showing'the base as set forward and the ribbon guide as retracted. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line- 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3is a plan view of this invention show- ,ing strictly parallel with the link 6.

ing the base as set backward and the ribbon guide as projected forward. Fig. i is a bot tom plan view, with a section of thebracketon about the line 4- .1: of Fig. 1.

In. the accompanying drawings I have diagrammatically illustrated the roller or platen P, an indicating finger F lying over the same to show the position on the paper where the next type will strike, and the ribbon mechanism M by means of which the ribbon R is held in position over the platen so that the descending type drives it against the paper, which ribbon mechanism M is moved backward after the type has made its stroke, so that the operator may see the imprint of the charactenupon the paper. For the Oliver typewriter, these parts may be briefly described as follows: On a bracket 1 attached to a suitable part of the framework is mounted a base 2 having a post 3 rising from its rear end and a pair of ears 4 rising from its forward end. Pivoted at 5 to the post is a link 6, and mounted in bearings through the cars is a rock shaft 7 from which rises rigidly a forward link 8 stand- The links are pivotally connected at their upper ends respectively at 9 and 10 with a)!- shaped fork 11 whose forward arms carry eyes 12 through which moves the ribbon R. I have not thought it necessary to show the ribbon spools on which this ribbon is mounted, nor the mechanism for turning them. The ribbon itself may be in one color or two as usual. If in one color, continued use of the machine wears one edge and it becomes desirable in time to shift the paths through which the ribbon vibrates (by mechanism described below) so that the wear will fall on the ribbon near its other edge. If said rib- .bon is in two colors, then it becomes desirsuch that the ribbon mechanism M is auto-- matically vibrated back and forth so as to retract the ribbon and permit the operator to see the paper, or to pIO]eCt the ribbon and permit the type to strikc upon it every time it makes a.--blow. The shiftirfg mechanism moves the-entire ribbon mechanism so that, when the operator desires to use the. other edge of the ribbon or the other color on the ribbon, the latter is moved from a different point and to a difler'ent point at each vibration, yet it is always passed under the type before the latter descends,

Coming now to the details of the present invention, the top of the bracket is provided with a guide 20, herein shown as a groove having under-cut edges, and within this guide moves a slide 21 upon which the base 2issecured in any suitable means-possibly .removably if desired. The front end of the slide is flush with the front end of the base,

but'the rear-end of the slide projects beyond the rear end of the base as seen in Fig. 1, for a purpose yet to appearJ Secured bene'ath the, bottom of thebracket, as by a screw 22, is a sector plate 23 on which at 24 is pivoted: an L-shaped lever 25, its short arm- 26 projecting laterally beneath the inner end of the slide'21 and being slotted as at 27 to receive a screw or pin 28 depending from said slide, and its longarm projecting 7 toward the operator and having a handle 29.

The sector plate has rising from its inner end two studs 30 and 31, whereof one may be in red and the other in black to indicate the difierent edges of the ribbon; and :between these studs the long arm of the lever moves as it is swung to one side or the other lug by means of its handle. The curved edge of the sector also has an up-struck' tongue or moved from one extreme position to the other; and the function of this lug is to hold the lever in either extreme position.

With this construction of parts, the operationiof shifting the ribbon mechanism is instantanoeusly accomplished by moving the lever from its position at one side of the lug and against one pinor stud, over to its position at the other side of the lug and against the other stud or pin. This causes its inner arm to draw'out or to push in the slide 21,"

which moves freely within the groove at the top of the bracket, and as the slide carries the ribbon mechanism M the latter is of coursemoved with it. Meanwhile the vibrating mechanism '14 is uninterrupted inits action, as will be clear.

f' My invention adds nothing to the compli-.

cation or weight of the ribbon mechanism itself. By withdrawing the screw 22 the sector plate and lever can be taken off of the bracket, and then the slide and the entire mechanism M carried by it can be withdrawn from the bracket for inspection and repair; and these parts can be restored in a v few minutes time and without the necessity for using any special tools.

v The. ribbon mechanism may have its usual 33 midway between these studs, over which the long arm of the lever rides as it is or any preferred construction, is extremely light, and. 1s vibrated bythe reciprocations of the rod 14 in the usual manner. The length of the crank 13 and the path through which the rod 14 vibrates, control the length of the path through which the ribbon moves, whether the mechanism M is adjusted forward or backward. I find the pins and the intermediate lug onthe sector plate extremely useful, because the color of the former may be made to designate the-color which the adjustment will cause thetypewriting to assume, and the-lug holds the lever in either extreme position' so' that it cannot become accidentally displaced by reason of vibration. The weight of the,attachment is entirely borne by the bracket, and

the latter is mounted rigidlyon the framework. v p v a What is claimed as new is:

-1. The combination with the ribbon-carry ing mechanism of a typewriting machine,

and a support therefor including a substantially flat base; of means for slidablyisupporting said base,-a fixed sector having pins near the extremities of its curved edge and a lug between said pins, and a lever pivoted on the sector with one arm moving between i said pins and over said-lug and the other arm connected with said base;

2. The combination with the r1bbon-carry ing mechanism of a typewriting. machine, and a support therefor including a substantially fiat base; of a bracket having a guide, a slide secured to the base and movably mounted in said guide, a sector plate secured tothe-bracket, a lever pivoted to said sector plate with one arm projecting past the. curved edge thereof, and connections between its other arm and said slide.

' 3. The combination with the ribbon-carrying mechanism of a typewriting machine, and a support therefor including a substantially that base;',of a bracket having a guide beneatir saidubase, a slide secured beneath the base and movably moupted in said guide, a sector plate secured to .the bracket and lever pivoted between its ends on said plate and having one end connected with said slide;

The combination with the ribbon-carrying mechanism of a typewritingmachine,

I and a support therefor including a base; of

a bracket standing beneath said base and having in its top a groove with under-cut edges, a slide movable in said groove, a sector plate having its inner end detachably secured beneath said bracket and its outer end curved, pins rising from the opposite. ends of said curve, an L-shaped lever piv oted at its angle upon said plate with its long armextending between said pins and its short arm having a slot, and a pin in said slide movably mounted in said slot, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with the ribbon-carrying mechanism of a typewriting machine, a support therefor including a base, and means for vibrating'the mechanism upon its sup port; of a bracket having a fixed guide for supporting said base, and manually operable means carried by the guide for adjusting the position of the base upon the guide, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FERDINAND vW. LULLOFF. Witnesses:

JOHN J. GRIMES,

OSCAR J. DIX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

